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Monday, February 13, 2017

”Somebody once told me the definition of hell:

“On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.” — Anonymous

Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person we can become, we don’t need to add more things — we need to give up on some of them.

There are certain things that are universal, which will make you successful if you give up on them, even though each one of us could have a different definition of success.

You can give up on some of them today, while it might take a bit longer to give up on others.

1. Give Up On The Unhealthy Lifestyle

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn

If you want to achieve anything in life, everything starts here. First you have to take care of your health, and there are only two things you need to keep in mind:

1. Healthy Diet2. Physical Activity

Small steps, but you will thank yourself one day.

2. Give Up The Short-term Mindset

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West

Successful people set long-term goals, and they know these aims are merely the result of short-term habits that they need to do every day.

These healthy habits shouldn’t be something you do; they should be something you embody.

There is a difference between: “Working out to get a summer body” and “Working out because that’s who you are.”

3. Give Up On Playing Small

“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson

If you never try and take great opportunities, or allow your dreams to become realities, you will never unleash your true potential.

And the world will never benefit from what you could have achieved.

So voice your ideas, don’t be afraid to fail, and certainly don’t be afraid to succeed.

4. Give Up Your Excuses

“It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.”― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Successful people know that they are responsible for their life, no matter their starting point, weaknesses, and past failures.

Realising that you are responsible for what happens next in your life is both frightening and exciting.

And when you do, that becomes the only way you can become successful, because excuses limit and prevent us from growing personally and professionally.

Own your life; no one else will.

5. Give Up The Fixed Mindset

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” ― Robert Greene, Mastery

People with a fixed mindset think their intelligence or talents are simply fixed traits, and that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong.

Successful people know this. They invest an immense amount of time on a daily basis to develop a growth mindset, acquire new knowledge, learn new skills and change their perception so that it can benefit their lives.

Remember, who you are today, it’s not who you have to be tomorrow.

6. Give Up Believing In The “Magic Bullet.”

“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better” — Émile Coué

Overnight success is a myth.

Successful people know that making small continual improvement every day will be compounded over time, and give them desirable results.

That is why you should plan for the future, but focus on the day that’s ahead of you, and improve just 1% every day.

7. Give Up Your Perfectionism

“Shipping beats perfection.” — Khan Academy’s Development Mantra

Nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how much we try.

Fear of failure (or even fear of success) often prevents us from taking an action and putting our creation out there in the world. But a lot of opportunities will be lost if we wait for the things to be right.

So “ship,” and then improve (that 1%).

8. Give Up Multi-tasking

“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Successful people know this. That’s why they choose one thing and then beat it into submission. No matter what it is — a business idea, a conversation, or a workout.

9. Give Up Your Need to Control Everything

“Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” — Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

Differentiating these two is important.

Detach from the things you cannot control, and focus on the ones you can, and know that sometimes, the only thing you will be able to control is your attitude towards something.

Remember, nobody can be frustrated while saying “Bubbles” in an angry voice.

10. Give Up On Saying YES To Things That Don’t Support Your Goals

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” — James Allen

Successful people know that in order to accomplish their goals, they will have to say NO to certain tasks, activities, and demands from their friends, family, and colleagues.

In the short-term, you might sacrifice a bit of instant gratification, but when your goals come to fruition, it will all be worth it.

11. Give Up The Toxic People

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”― Jim Rohn

People we spend the most time with, add up to who we become.

There are people who are less accomplished in their personal and professional life, and there are people who are more accomplished than us. If you spend time with those who are behind you, your average will go down, and with it, your success.

But if you spend time with people who are more accomplished than you, no matter how challenging that might be, you will become more successful.

Take a look at around you, and see if you need to make any changes.

12. Give Up Your Need To Be Liked

“The only way to avoid pissing people off is to do nothing important.” — Oliver Emberton

Think of yourself as a market niche.

There will be a lot of people who like that niche, and there will be individuals who don’t. And no matter what you do, you won’t be able to make the entire market like you.

This is entirely natural, and there’s no need to justify yourself.

The only thing you can do is to remain authentic, improve and provide value every day, and know that the growing number of “haters” means that you are doing important things.

13. Give Up Your Dependency on Social Media & Television

“The trouble is, you think you have time” — Jack Kornfield

Impulsive web browsing and television watching are diseases of today’s society.These two should never be an escape from your life or your goals.

Unless your goals depend on either, you should minimise (or even eliminate) your dependency on them, and direct that time towards things that can enrich your life.

Olympus' OM-D E-M1 has been one of our favorite mirrorless cameras since its introduction in 2013. It impressed us with its build quality, image quality, ridiculous amount of manual control (that's a compliment) and boatload of features. Three years later, it's still very competitive.

To say that Olympus has outdone itself with the E-M1 Mark II is an understatement. The company told us that this camera was overdeveloped, and it shows. Its blazing dual quad-core processors allow for 60 fps burst shooting (18 fps w/continuous autofocus) and ridiculously fast image playback. Combine that with one of the most advanced autofocus systems we've seen and 5-axis in-body image stabilization – along with what made the original so impressive – and the Mark II is a force to be reckoned with.

One thing about the Mark II that makes us pause is its price. While its MSRP of $2000 is equal to that of Nikon's D500 and full-frame D750 (though, at time of publication, they are selling for $1800), the Mark II's Four Thirds sensor is small in comparison to the D500 and other APS-C cameras and tiny versus full-framers.

The Sigma 85mm F1.4 Art hasn't been on the market long, but it has already begun to make some serious waves. Lenstip and DxO have rated it the sharpest 85mm lens ever created, beating out even the legendary 85mm F1.4 Zeiss Otus, which isn't something that we take lightly. We were lucky enough to get our hands on the lens back in mid-November and we were very impressed to say the least, so much so that it took top honors for the 'Best Prime Lens of 2016' as chosen by our staff.

It has, without a doubt, been a pretty big topic of discussion not only amongst our staff members, but also amongst portrait photographers around the world. With that said we just had to get our hands on it to see how it really performs and to see how it holds up next to some very stiff competition at 85mm. The Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM is a very formidable competitor and arguably the best modern 85mm F1.4 on the market (behind the manual focus Zeiss Otus, of course). With that in mind, the question is; can the Sigma hold its own? Our review will answer that question and more.

APS-C

With an equivalent focal length of 136mm and an equivalent aperture of F2.2, this lens can be used on an APS-C camera. Even with its slightly longer focal length, it does still fit into the focal range that's often used by portrait photographers and the fast aperture does allow for it to be used in low-light situations as well. However, its size, weight and price makes it worth considering 85mm F1.8 lenses instead.

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art headline features

F1.4 maximum aperture

85mm max fixed focal range

2 SLD glass elements

1 aspherical element

Canon EF, Nikon (FX) and Sigma SA Bayonet mounts

Specifications Compared

Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM

Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art

MSRP

$1800.00

$1199.00

Lens Type

Prime

Prime

Focal Length

85mm

85mm

Filter Thread

77mm

86mm

Image Stabilization

No

No

Lens Mount

Sony FE

Canon EF, Nikon (FX), Sigma SA Bayonet

Aperture Ring

Yes (w/ d-click feature)

No

Maximum Aperture

F1.4

F1.4

Minimum Aperture

F16

F16

Minimum Focus

0.80 m (31.5″)

0.85 m (33.46″)

Diaphragm Blades

11

9

Elements

11

14

Groups

8

12

Special Elements/Coatings

1 'Extreme Aspherical' element, 3 ED elements and 'Nano AR' coating

2 SLD glass elements and 1 Aspherical element

Autofocus

Yes

Yes

Motor Type

Ring-type Supersonic Wave

Ring-type Hypersonic

Full Time Manual

Yes

Yes

Focus Method

Internal

Internal

Distance Scale

No

Yes

DoF Scale

No

Yes

Full Weather Sealing

Yes

No (dust and splash proof)

Weight

820g (1.81 lb)

1131g (2.49 lb)

Dimensions

108 mm (4.23″) x 90mm (3.52″)

126mm (5.0") x 95mm (3.7")

Hood

Yes ( ALC-SH142)

Yes

As you can see the lenses are fairly different in terms of build and design. The Sony 85mm has a manual aperture ring that can not only function on its own, but the aperture can also be adjusted with the camera by switching the ring to 'A'. This ring also features a special de-click feature for smooth, silent aperture changes while shooting video. The Sigma 85mm lacks the weather sealing that the Sony has and there's also a fairly substantial difference in size and weight as the Sony 85mm is a fair bit smaller and lighter. The price point is one area of the where the Sigma really prevails over the Sony, on paper, at least.

Specifications are fun to look at, but the real question is how do these lenses perform?

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Tired of feeling down in the dumps? Move! Stressed about work? Move! Tired of feeling weak throughout your day? Lift! Getting tired going up the stairs? Head to the hills! It’s amazing what exercise can do for your whole life. It’s not just about getting into a better mood. It’s about making life more joyful! When it’s easier to move, it’s easier to do everything you want to do! Check out the list below to see if something resonates with you.

1. Better Mood

Within five minutes of cardiovascular exercise, you can feel happier! Once you get moving, your brain releases serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine as well as possibly others. These make you feel good! So, even if you don’t feel like doing anything, just going for a walk can make you happier!

2. Decreased Stress

According to one online poll, only 14 percent of people use regular exercise to cope with stress. As previously mentioned, it only takes five minutes to start feeling better and it doesn’t have to be intense exercise. In fact, low- to moderate-intensity exercise is better than high-intensity for stress reduction. I recently read an article in Runner’s World regarding how exercise affects post traumatic stress disorder. Walking, running and yoga tend to be the favourite choices.

3. More Mental Resilience

On the tougher side of the coin, when you exercise in a way that pushes you physically, you get mentally tougher. When you are mentally tougher, you can handle more stress. For some people, the feeling of developing mental resilience is addictive. You reach your goal and start wondering what else you can do! People train to take themselves further and further in sports like running, martial arts, cycling, etc. This mental toughness helps in other aspects of your life. You can handle more of anything.

4. Life Feels Easier

If you could get through your day in a physically easier way, wouldn’t that be nice? If lugging groceries and children, or moving items around the house were easier, wouldn’t you be happier? Exercise can do that for you! Increase strength, improve your cardiovascular fitness and life just feels easier! Let’s not even talk about shoveling snow.

5. Improved Immune System

There are several speculations on how exercise improves your immunity. Exercise can help by flushing out bacteria from the lungs and may also flush out carcinogens by increasing the activity of your lymphatic system, which drains waste from your body.

When your blood is pumping, you are also increasing the rate at which antibodies and white blood cells run through the body. They detect and attack illness. Why wouldn’t you want more of that happening inside you?

When you exercise, the release of stress-related hormones is slowed down. Stress is not just emotional – it is very physical. By decreasing those hormones, you improve your health.

There can be too much of a good thing though. Mild to moderate exercise improves your immune system. Heavy, intense exercise lowers immunity and increases those stress hormones. If you are battling a cold, doing light exercise like a walk or jog for a short amount of time is a good idea. If you are training for a marathon and just finished a long run or a speed work session then you should be careful not to hang out with sick people for several hours afterwards. Use that time to give yourself proper post-workout nutrition and rest.

6. Participate in Life

Happiness can come when you feel healthy enough to do anything you want to do. When you can engage in play with kids and grandkids, join friends for various sporting activities, and do more things with your significant other, life is amazing. When you don’t even have to think about whether you are fit enough for basic activities, that is a great place to be. Life is short; make it fun!

7. Healthy Aging

Exercise helps with maintaining a healthy weight. As you age, this becomes harder and harder to do without exercise. It also helps maintain mobility in your spine. When your spine is happy, your body can move properly. Having muscles that are able to react to your environment (think snow, ice, hills, heat, cold, etc.) makes life a whole lot easier as we age.

8. Better Sleep

When you sleep, your body temperature drops and this drop in temperature helps you sleep. When you exercise for 20-30 minutes, five to six hours before bedtime, your body temp will then drop lower than it would if you did not exercise. This makes for better sleep!

9. Increased Energy

I must say, from personal experience, my most productive time comes AFTER I exercise. I get the most work done and feel good doing it. Treat your body like a savings account; pay yourself first! If you are new to exercise you might feel a little more tired for a week or so but then you start feeling better, and better! Stick with it!

10. Reduced Depression and Anxiety

“There’s good epidemiological data to suggest that active people are less depressed than inactive people. And people who were active and stopped tend to be more depressed than those who maintain or initiate an exercise program,” says James Blumenthal, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Duke University. “Exercise seems not only important for treating depression, but also in preventing relapse.”

So there you have it! No more excuses. Go for a five minute walk, take up yoga, try running, and be happy!

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Omega and their Speedmaster Apollo XI limited editions. Some people love ‘m, others frown their eyebrows when Omega introduces another commemorative edition. Since 1969, Omega creates these Apollo XI editions and you could say that they are a recurring ‘limited edition’ since 1989. Every 5 years there’s a Speedmaster Apollo XI to be introduced. Next one will be in 2019, when the Apollo XI missions celebrates its 50th anniversary. In this article, we’ll show you all the Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI models thus far.

Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI

On July 20th 1969, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module put astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the surface of the Moon. On July 21st, at 2:56 UTC, Armstrong set foot on the Moon and spoke his famous words. Not much later, Buzz Aldrin followed him. On his wrist, the Omega Speedmaster Professional. From that moment on, the ‘Moonwatch’.

NASA received Speedmaster reference 105.012 and 145.012 watches from Omega after the official certification for use during extra-vehicular activities by astronauts. Since a few years, it is known that Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin wore a Speedmaster reference 105.012. The first Speedmaster on the surface of the Moon. Legend has it that Neil Armstrong left his Speedmaster (also a 105.012) on board of the Lunar Module as the (Bulova) board clock malfunctioned. Aldrin’s watch later disappeared (in 1970), when it was sent off to the Smithsonian museum. Michael Collins was wearing a Speedmaster 145.012.

1969 Apollo XI Gold Commemorative Edition

In the meanwhile, Omega started already with their first commemorative edition (numbered, not limited): the 18 carat yellow gold Speedmaster Professional. Only 1,014 pieces made of which #1 was offered to President Nixon and #2 was offered to Vice President Spiro Agnew. Both declined the watch though, for compliance reasons. During a banquet on the 25th of November 1969, 19 watches were offered to the NASA astronauts. Later on, other astronauts who couldn’t join the banquet or who did later missions (than 1969) also received their gold piece. This watch has the engraving “to mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.” A quote that Jim Lovell also gave during a Q&A session at the Speedmaster Event in Houston in May 2015.

There seems to be a bit of an uncertainty whether Apollo 13’s Jack Swigert and Fred Haise received one, but I’ve been told that they were offered one later on as well. However, they do not appear in any overviews of the watches given to astronauts. A number of watches (with another type of engraving) went to some Swiss managers of Omega and Lemania at the time. Besides the models that went were offered to the White House, astronauts and a couple of other representatives, the rest went to Omega retailers around the world. With a different type of engraving of course. We talked about astronaut Wally Schirra’s and Ken Mattingly’s gold Speedmaster Apollo XI watches here and here.

1989 Speedmaster Apollo XI 20th Anniversary Editions

Normally I would have put the 1980 gold Speedmaster Professionals first, as their casebacks are engraved with ‘Apollo XI 1969’, but we recently found out that these watches are actually commemorating something different. More later.

Image by Darren of VintageSpeedmaster.com

In 1989, Omega introduced the Speedmaster Apollo XI 20th anniversary model. A stainless steel Speedmaster Professional that came in a special (wooden) box, an extra black velcro strap, a 20th anniversary badge and had an engraving on the case band. This engraving was either Apollo XI 1969 (worldwide 4000 pieces only but unnumbered), xxxx/2000 Apollo XI 1969 (USA 2000 pieces) or xxx /250 Apollo XI 1969 – 1989 (Germany 250 pieces). According to Moonwatch Only and Omega’s Journey Through Time, the 250 pieces for the German market were delivered as ‘head only’. That means there was no strap or bracelet delivered with these pieces. The Omega distributor or retailers took care of this themselves. The other 6000 pieces came with the much sought-after reference 1450 bracelet. A review of this limited edition Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI ref. 3590 watch can be found here.

Image via Uhr Forum.

1994 Speedmaster Apollo XI 25th Anniversary Editions

The five year intervals I mentioned at the beginning of this article started in 1994. For the 25th anniversary of the Moonlanding and the role of the Speedmaster, Omega introduced another limited edition Speedmaster Apollo XI model. This particular one was limited to 2500 pieces and also featured the engraved case band, showing ‘Apollo XI 1969 – 1994’. In fact, besides the stainless steel watches like the 20th anniversary model of 1989, Omega also introduced a limited edition of 500 pieces in white gold and a run of 50 numbered pieces in platinum. The platinum watches were skeletonized by Armin Strom.

The stainless steel Speedmaster Apollo XI has reference 3591.50 and came either with the much appraised 1479 bracelet or a leather strap. A bit of a hair puller if I may so myself, but it looks very good on the Speedmaster and tapers nicely towards the clasp.

Image by Kringkilly / OmegaForums.net

Like the 20th anniversary, the watch comes in a nice wooden box and some extras. According to Moon Watch Only, these watches were also delivered with a grey leather box with ‘The First Watch Worn On The Moon 1969 – 1994’ inscription on the inside. The caseback of the 1994 version is also slightly different from the 1989 model, as it now came with an additional engraving ‘Limited Edition xxxx / 2500).

Image by Kringkilly / OmegaForums.net

Then there used to be a limited run of 999 pieces for the Italian market. Little is known about this reference 3592.50 version (with sapphire case back). Other than that it has the caliber 863 movement and a small engraving on the case band stating xxx / 999.

A while ago (here, in December 2014) we already wrote about the white gold Speedmaster Apollo XI limited edition of 500 pieces. We took pictures of the watch that is in the Omega Museum in Bienne, as you can see above. A beautiful white gold case, with silver-grey dial and silver hands. The case band reads Apollo XI 1969 – 1994 like the stainless steel model and the caseback is transparent and showing the caliber 864 movement. This is a variation on the caliber 861 movement (rhodium plated), but with a chronometer rating. This white gold limited edition has reference number 3192.30 for the version with full white gold bracelet and 3692.30 for the model as pictured above.

1999 Speedmaster Apollo XI 30th Anniversary Edition

A bit of a boring limited edition, only to be noticed by collectors by the special engraved caseback. The rest of the watch was similar to the reference 3570.50 that was in production at the time. This 1999 Speedmaster Apollo XI model had reference 3560.50 and was limited to 9999 pieces. To make it somewhat more lively, I’ve put the watch next to a model of the Moon buggy. In the back ground you see the original certificate that came with this reference.

In 2013 I called it a stealth Speedmaster Professional limited edition, as it goes easily unnoticed until you see the caseback. This watch came in a black leather box with a certificate of authenticity. The caseback has the ‘Hello Houston, tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed.’ The famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong. Below, the exact date and time of the landing and the unique number of the watch. In the center, the Apollo XI mission patch medallion. This reference 3560.50 came with the then standard bracelet, reference 1498. This reference was the first of the Apollo XI anniversary editions to use the caliber 1861 movement.

2004 Speedmaster Apollo XI 35th Anniversary Edition

Compared to the 1999 version, the Speedmaster Apollo XI watch that commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Moonlanding, was something very different. The dial seems to have been inspired by the limited edition of 300 pieces that Omega made one year earlier, for the Japanese department store called Mitsukoshi. The only difference with the dial of the Mitsukoshi, is that the date of the Moonlanding is printed on there (in red). This reference, 3569.31 was limited to 3500 pieces only.

Not only the Panda dial was something different from the regular Moonwatch, also the caseback is very interesting. Like the 2003 Snoopy Award model, the caseback of the Speedmaster Apollo XI 35th anniversary shows a graphic. This model came with a black box which has the Apollo XI mission patch on the inside and a certificate of the authentication. Originally, this model came on a reference 1998 bracelet but the images I show you here have the watch on a leather Omega OEM strap. This Speedmaster Apollo XI limited edition also used the calibre 1861 movement.

2009 Speedmaster Apollo XI 40th Anniversary Editions

In 2009 Omega decided to come up with something in precious metal again as well. Besides the stainless steel Speedmaster Apollo XI 40th anniversary edition reference 311.30.42.30.01.002 they also introduced a very limited run of the same model in platinum (reference 311.90.42.30.01.001). The stainless steel version was limited to 7969 pieces while the platinum version was limited to only 69 pieces.

Interesting enough, even though we are talking about a relative high number of watches from a recent production year, the supply on these in the pre-owned market is rather limited.

The stainless steel model has the Apollo XI mission patch on the sub dial at 9 o’clock, in sterling silver. You also received a large sterling silver medallion in the big black box that came with this Speedmaster Apollo XI limited edition. The platinum model has the medallion at 9 o’clock in yellow gold and you also would receive a yellow gold coin with this model.

Image by Darren

The caseback of the Apollo XI 40th anniversary has a beautiful bas relief medallion of the Apollo XI mission patch. This model uses the caliber 1861 movement. The bracelet on this watch is the reference 1958 (links with screws).

The platinum model came with a yellow gold medallion on the caseback, giving it an interesting contrast. The weight of this platinum limited edition was 248 grams. At the time, the retail price of the platinum model was $135.000 USD.

2014 Speedmaster Apollo XI 45th Anniversary Edition

The most recent Speedmaster Apollo XI anniversary edition is the one from 2014. Perhaps also the most unusual one, besides the 1969 18 ct gold numbered edition. The 45th anniversary edition is made of titanium and has a Sedna gold bezel.

One of the first things to notice is the dial. The logo and wording have not been printed like we are used to, but it is all made of 1 piece and treated with black PVD. The dial was created using a special laser which created the nice looking dial by removing all material surrounding the logo, model name, sub dial numerals, minute and hour markers.

This Speedmaster Apollo XI limited edition reference 311.62.42.30.06.001 was limited to 1969 pieces only, matching the year of the lunar landing. The list price was 5900 Euro if I am not mistaken. However, it was rapidly sold out. I really wanted this piece and tried to obtain one, but The Netherlands is just a small market and only few came this way and were quickly sold out to regular clients. Now, less than 3 years after its release there are only 5 available on Chrono24 for example, and the cheapest is 9000 Euro.

It is an awkward fellow, but it is a much loved and praised piece amongst collectors. It came on the Omega NATO strap (also introduced that year) which wears a bit thick, but looks awesome.

The titanium caseback is very close to the regular Moonwatch one, but has a special engraving for the Apollo 11 45th Anniversary and the unique number. A fun fact is that you could easily equip this model with a Speedmaster bracelet by using the titanium one from the X-33.

Other Apollo XI models and Some Thoughts

The Others

The 2nd gold Moonwatch, the Speedmaster Professional reference 345.0802 came in both white gold (20 pieces) and yellow gold (approximately 280 pieces). As it has the Apollo XI engraving on the caseback, it was common to think that this was some kind of Apollo XI anniversary model as well.

So it basically has little to do with the Apollo XI, except for the engraving on the caseback. Not much later, Omega also introduced the display back for the stainless steel Moonwatch. At the time, this was the Speedmaster Professional reference 345.0808. This model also had the Apollo XI engraving but wasn’t a commemorative edition. Later on, this reference became the reference 3592.50. After 1995, the Apollo XI inscription disappeared on this reference. We wrote about the 3592.50 featuring the decorated caliber 863 movement in this article.

Reference 3592.50, Image by Pascal R.

In 1997, Omega also released these Mission Cases. In total, 50 of these suit cases were made, containing 22 mission patch Speedmasters, a ’57 re-edition model and a spare caliber 1861 movement. 10 of these cases weren’t for sale, but for show purposes only. One of these watches had the Apollo XI mission patch on the 9 o’clock sub dial. Besides 50 of these watches in those big white mission cases, Omega also made another 100 – 150 (unknown) of 21 of these mission patch models for regular sale. The Apollo 13 model wasn’t produced extra, as this one was already sold separately in 1995 (999 pieces). An article about this mission patch Apollo XI model can be found here.

Image by Darren

Some Thoughts

In this article I covered all Speedmaster Apollo XI anniversary editions. From all mission-related Speedmaster limited editions, the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 seems to be most popular and do very well in the collector’s market. That doesn’t mean others, like the stunning Apollo 15 edition or the Apollo-Soyuz don’t. Although I feel you should buy what you like best, the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 editions are no brainers if you want to be sure that your watch will retain its value. The 30th anniversary is perhaps the weakest execution, but on the other hand it stays very true to the original Moonwatch design. The 35th and 45th anniversary models are in high demand, so is the gold Apollo XI edition from 1969, but the target audience is also a bit smaller due to the price tag on those.